1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a leanable body frame and two front wheels.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle described in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 5595624 includes a body frame and two front wheels that are arranged side by side in a left-right direction of the body frame.
The vehicle includes a linkage. The linkage includes an upper cross member, a lower cross member, a left side member and a right side member. The upper cross member, the lower cross member, the left side member and the right side member are connected so that the upper cross member and the lower cross member maintain postures that are parallel to each other and the left side member and the right side member maintain postures that are parallel to each other.
In the vehicle described above, a position of a left end of the lower cross member substantially coincides with a left end of the left side member in a left-right direction of the body frame that is standing upright or in an upright state. Similarly, a position of a right end of the lower cross member substantially coincides with a right end of the right side member in the left-right direction of the body frame that is in the upright state.
There is a need to enhance the rigidity at a connector between the lower cross member and the left side member and a connector between the lower cross member and the right side member. In order to enhance the rigidity at those connectors, it is considered to extend the left end of the lower cross member to the left of the left end of the left side member and to extend the right end of the lower cross member to the right of the right end of the right side member. By doing so, the thickness of the portion of the lower cross member that is disposed on the left of the connector with the left side member is increased to enhance the rigidity at the connector concerned. Likewise, the thickness of the portion of the lower cross member that is disposed on the right of the connector with the right side member is increased to enhance the rigidity at the connector concerned. In the following description, the portion of the lower cross member that is disposed on the left of the left end of the left side member will be referred to as a left lower projection, and the portion of the lower cross member that is disposed on the right of the right end of the right side member will be referred to as a right lower projection.
In the case of the lower cross member including the left lower projection and the right lower projection that are described above, when the linkage operates, there could be a case that foreign matter such as stones that come flying from a side is caught thereat. For example, when the body frame leans to the right of the vehicle, an angle defined between a lower edge of the left lower projection and the left end of the left side member is narrowed when viewed from the front of the vehicle, such that there could be a case that foreign matter such as stones that enter the linkage is caught therebetween. Likewise, when the body frame leans to the left of the vehicle, an angle defined between a lower edge of the right lower projection and the right end of the right side member is narrowed when viewed from the front of the vehicle, such that there could be a case that foreign matter such as stones that enter the linkage is caught therebetween. Consequently, there is a need to prevent or significantly reduce the intrusion of foreign matter such as stones into the linkage by covering the portions where the foreign matter such as stones might intrude into the linkage with a cover.
The vehicle described in Japanese Patent No. 5595624 includes a front cover that does not change its position relative to the body frame. The linkage is covered by the front cover when the vehicle is standing upright. For example, in order to prevent or significantly reduce the intrusion of foreign matter such as stones into the linkage, it is conceivable that the shape of the front cover is changed so as to cover the portions described above where the foreign matter such as stones might intrude into the linkage.
However, as the body frame leans, the left side member or the right side member of the linkage is displaced downwards relative to the front cover. As the left side member or the right side member is displaced, the portions where the foreign matter might intrude into the linkage also moves downwards. In order to cover the portions with the front cover, a lower end of the front cover needs to be extended downwards to a large extent. If this is done, it is inevitable that the front cover is enlarged (and hence, the front portion of the vehicle is enlarged) and additionally, there could be a case that the left and right front wheels and their peripheral members (the suspensions and the front mudguards) interfere with the extended lower end of the front cover. Then, when attempting to ensure a space to avoid the interference, the front cover (and hence, the front portion of the vehicle) is also enlarged in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.